McCollum was fifth nationally with 21.9 points per game last season and drew plenty of attention by scoring 30 points in Lehigh's upset victory over Duke in the NCAA Tournament. Even with opponents geared toward stopping him, McCollum has been nearly unstoppable during his senior season. The 6-3 guard also is averaging 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists. McCollum is tied for fifth nationally in 3-point shooting, hitting 51.9 percent, and is generating plenty of attention from NBA scouts.

His absence Thursday spoiled a matchup against North Texas preseason All-American forward Tony Mitchell. About 60 NBA scouts reportedly were expected to attend the game in Denton, Texas. Lehigh won the game, 90-75, to improve to 9-2 on the season. Mitchell had 22 points and nine rebounds for the Mean Green in a losing effort.

This was the first game McCollum missed during his time at Lehigh.

Earlier Thursday, McCollum along with teammate, junior guard Mackey McKnight, were named candidates for the 2013 Bob Cousy Award, announced by the Basketball Hall of Fame. The annual honor recognizes the top point guards in the country. Lehigh was one of five schools with multiple candidates. In all, over 80 players were named as candidates for the award.